1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to panniers adapted to be mounted to cycle vehicles at the side of the rear wheel and to mounting arrangements for such panniers.
2. Reference to Related Applications
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 768,467, filed Feb. 14, 1977 entitled "Pannier Mounting Arrangement for Cycles".
3. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Panniers for bicycles, motorcycles and the like are usually attached to the cycle carrier racks by means such as loops, springs, snaps, etc. which provide for encirclement of structural members of the rear carrier rack. Difficulties encountered with this approach include the vulnerability of the attachment hardware, which have a tendency to fail when loaded heavily, to fall off, or to get lost. The strength of such an attachment method is also compromised by the point concentration of the load creating a tendency for the bag to tear or the straps or hardware, etc. to fail. Many of such systems are also relatively cumbersome in carrying out installation of the pannier which is a substantial disadvantage, since the pannier may be utilized as detachable luggage with frequent removal and installation thereof in the course of a tour. Another drawback is encountered in those systems in which the pannier is supported by means of loops encircling structural members of the carrier rack in that this would allow a certain amount of fore and aft shifting and mispositioning of the pannier.
While any such mounting system should be preferably very strong and capable of supporting a heavily loaded pannier, weight considerations preclude the use of heavy mounting components. While panniers are often mounted in pairs on either side of the cycle rear wheel, it is very desirable that the panniers be capable of being independently installed and removed to provide flexibility in their use.
In addition the carrier rack itself should preferably be very sturdily supported to provide lateral or anti-sway stability, so as to adequately resist tendencies of the pannier to shift laterally when heavily loaded during turning movements.
Another desirable feature of carrier racks is the ease with which they may be adapted to cycle vehicles of various sizes and configurations in order that numerous models of the carrier rack are not necessitated. The pannier itself should be flexible so that it can accommodate loads of various configurations and be compactly folded when not in use, yet should have sufficient shape to allow easy loading and unloading.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a pannier and a mounting arrangement for mounting such panniers to carrier racks, which does not involve the use of complicated fasteners or other components and which subject the pannier to concentrated loads.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a mounting arrangement which permits precise and secure fore and aft positioning of the panniers with respect to the carrier rack.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a mounting arrangement in which the pannier may be attached or removed in seconds and in which pannier pairs may be installed and removed independently of one another.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a mounting arrangement which is simple and light weight and while providing a very strong support capable of supporting heavily loaded panniers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a specially designed carrier rack for incorporating such a mounting arrangement, which is adaptable to widely varying cycle frame sizes and configurations and which provides a stable support for the panniers.